One is an elementary education major from northern Virginia, drawn to ODU by the chance to explore a new environment. The other, a lifelong Norfolk resident and industrial technology major, always knew ODU was in his future. Their paths couldn’t be more different - but Alyssa Raymond and Isaiah Motley found common ground in leadership, service, and a shared commitment to uplifting their college community. As co-presidents of the DCEPS Student Ambassadors for the 2024-2025 academic year, Alyssa & Isaiah helped transform a relatively new student organization into a visible, collaborative, and recognized presence on campus.
Isaiah, an Industrial Technology Major, began his journey to ODU in kindergarten. Having spent his entire life in Norfolk, he knew his path was leading him to the university. Yet, the choice was still his own.
“I chose ODU because they had the most to offer me specifically,” Isaiah stated. ODU was also willing to help financially through scholarships and grants.
Before joining the Ambassadors, Isaiah served in an ambassadorship position for the Industrial Technology Program, representing the Darden College at different events around the local area. At one such event, a recruitment officer for the college asked if Isaiah was interested in being an ambassador for the DCEPS as a whole. He accepted, attending meetings until his eventual appointment as president.
Isaiah’s leadership evolved from being “laid back” to being more involved as he gained confidence. “As time went on, I learned to find my voice,” he said of his progress. He would describe himself as the kind of person who prefers to take on many challenges at once. However, as co-president, he had to distinguish between a good opportunity and one better left untaken.
“I had to learn when to say no and when to grab it and go.”
Serving as co-president opened Isaiah up to the possibility of pursuing management positions after college. Originally, he thought he would be a designer or technician, but working with others made him realize that an administrative role may work for him.
After graduation, Isaiah plans to go straight to work.
“There’s almost too many options to pick from. With my degree and the things I’ve learned, no matter where I go, I feel like I’ll be an asset.”
To future student ambassadors he said,
“Try hard and take the opportunity. I’ve done things I never thought I could do with this group. Just go for it.”
Alyssa Raymond, an Elementary Education major, is originally from northern Virginia. She was drawn to ODU out of a need to experience a different culture. Looking back, she’s confident that stepping outside of her comfort zone was the right decision.
“It has really informed my lifestyle and decisions as a future educator,” said Alyssa.
Her first experience with the Student Ambassadors happened at a Friendsgiving event where she found the atmosphere open and welcoming. After joining the group, it wasn’t long before she was appointed president along with Isaiah Motley.
During her role as co-president, Alyssa learned a lot about being a leader. She describes her current style as a balancing act between delegating tasks to the other ambassadors and raising their voices up so they can make decisions for themselves. She shared that her co-president, Isaiah, introduced her to the careful art of relinquishing control. From him, she learned that, “People will meet your expectations or they won’t, and either way, it’ll be okay.”
According to Alyssa, letting go of control is also a good way to make room for the good ideas of others.
Despite her growth, she still faced challenges. For her, it was often hard to work alongside friends. The key was communication.
“In order to overcome that, I had to learn how to communicate when I was putting my president hat on and when I was putting my friend hat on.”
It was important for her to set boundaries and decide which topics of conversation were appropriate.
Alyssa is graduating this May, but she hopes her work has made an impact for future ambassadors and prospective students. She has been diligent about listening to student input and attending events like Caffeine with the Dean in order to understand what people are hoping to gain from the Darden College. “Ambassadors are members of the Darden, but we’re not everyone in the college,” she reflected. She believes that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard.
Alyssa credits her acceptance into UVA’s Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction Program to the recommendations she received from participating in the Ambassador program. Serving as co-president and forging connections gave her the confidence to apply in the first place.
To the next generation of ambassadors, Alyssa, who has consistently championed the voices of her fellow ambassadors, has one thing to say: “Keep this a round table, and give everyone a chance to be heard.”
One moment that stood out to both Alyssa and Isaiah was a spring open house. The event drew one of the largest turnouts of the year. For Isaiah, it was a moment of external recognition. A family member of an incoming student happened to be an ODU official. The official recognized the Ambassadors’ extraordinary performance and reached out to faculty in order to highlight the group.
“Even though we didn’t know that this person had a connection with the university, we still treated them well,” he said.
For Alyssa, the experience was more emotional. The event’s atmosphere—fun, interactive, and welcoming—reflected exactly what the group had worked so hard to build. “It gave me tears in my eyes because I was so proud of everyone and how far we’ve come,” she said. That shared pride became a defining memory of their term as co-presidents
As co-presidents, Alyssa and Isaiah have learned about themselves and each other. When asked to describe Isaiah’s leadership style in one word, Alyssa was quick to answer: “Self-assured.”
When asked the same question of Alyssa, Isaiah responded, “Relationships.”
Both agreed that having someone to rely on made for a stronger leadership duo and, subsequently, a stronger student ambassadorship program.
